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European railways rise from the ash

Europe’s railways responded well to the ash-cloud crisis; with proper support, they could have responded better still.

European Voice

4/28/10, 10:00 PM CET

Updated 4/12/14, 7:28 PM CET

In your editorial last week reflecting on crisis management in the wake of the volcanic eruption that grounded Europe’s air traffic for several days (“The lessons to be learnt from the ash”, 22-28 April), you concluded that, as was the case with the credit crunch of 2008, decisions made by national government counted for more than those made by the EU.

The Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) believes this explanation is too brief: it was not just actions undertaken by national governments, but also the quick reaction of railway companies throughout Europe that helped to avoid even greater chaos for travellers.

By the time transport ministers met via video-conference, European railways had already reacted strongly, by organising additional trains to satisfy sky-rocketing demand. Within hours, railways across Europe had laid on extra trains and coaches.

In Italy, 21,300 additional seats were offered, and supplementary trains travelled on the main high-speed lines. In Spain, RENFE reinforced its schedule, especially on the line connecting Paris. Deutsche Bahn used all available trains to deal with the 30% rise in long-distance passenger traffic. Eurostar put on 63 additional trains and carried around 50,000 extra passengers. Thousands of additional seats were guaranteed on the high-speed trains between France and Germany, between France and Switzerland, and between Switzerland and Germany.

A first lesson to be learnt from the ash should, thus, be remembered by those critics who still think railways are inefficient compared with other modes of transport: in this emergency, railways showed they can be an efficient, flexible and convenient alternative on both short- and long-haul distances for passengers and freight transport.

It is, though, true that not all passenger (and freight) demand could be met on track. The second lesson from the ash cloud is therefore one for political decision-makers: more public investment in rail infrastructure is needed to create a reliable, safe and sustainable transport system free from bottlenecks.

As European Voice rightly wrote last week, investment in Europe’s railways is woefully inadequate. All EU institutions and national governments have acknowledged this and, in non-binding statements, they have long promised to make rail transport a priority. However, nothing much has happened in terms of concrete and actual measures.

Railways are often put at a disadvantage to other transport modes. Between 1970 and 2005, Europe’s motorway network increased by 350%, while the length of its rail lines fell 14%. Rail passengers are offered strong (and costly) rights, while airlines such as Ryanair are openly considering challenging even the limited rights that European legislation requires them to guarantee their passengers.

Even so, high-speed rail is now seen as a serious option for short-haul travel in Europe, according to independent research commissioned by Eurostar following the volcano incident. More than 84% of UK citizens surveyed said that they would definitely or probably choose high-speed rail over air when they plan their next trip to Europe.

Finally, we would like to point out that we support European Voice’s view that crisis prevention is cheaper than the cure. We have long reminded politicians that they need to live up to their financial promises. European railways need support, not just so that they can respond even better in times of crisis, but also to ensure that they emerge as a sustainable and attractive alternative to air transport in ordinary times.